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• Commonly used blood pressure medications safe for COVID-19 patients, study finds
• Insights into the Yellowstone hotspot
• Mysterious family life of notorious saber-toothed tiger
• Research confirms increase in river flooding and droughts in US, Canada
• Functional seizures associated with stroke, psychiatric disorders
• Emotionally appealing ads may not always help consumer memory
• What is surgical smoke and what can be done about it?
• Chemists invent shape-shifting nanomaterial with biomedical potential
• MRI frequently underestimates tumor size in prostate cancer
• Striped or spotted? Winds and jet streams found on the closest brown dwarf
• COVID-19 outcomes for patients on immunosuppressive drugs on par with non-immunosuppressed patients, study finds
• Intelligence deficit: Conclusion from the mouse to the human being
• Reducing treatment-related complication for blood cancer patients
• High-flux table-top source for femtosecond hard X-ray pulses
• What happens when your brain can't tell which way is up or down?
• For the right employees, even standard information technology can spur creativity
• Protein that can be toxic in the heart and nerves may help prevent Alzheimer's
• Mediterranean diet may decrease risk of prostate cancer progression
• Delivering the news with humor makes young adults more likely to remember and share
• Simple bioreactor makes 'gut check' more practical
• Fundamental study on the Kondo effect
• Study examines attitudes toward long-acting injectable HIV therapy among women
• Experts tap into behavioral research to promote COVID-19 vaccination in the United States
• Nanodroplets and ultrasound 'drills' prove effective at tackling tough blood clots
• Comprehensive database of head and neck cancers created
• How medical schools can transform curriculums to undo racial biases
• Power, water and climate
• How to mitigate the impact of a lockdown on mental health
• Not just a guys' club: Resistance training benefits older women just as much as older men
• Vaccine myths on social media can be effectively reduced with credible fact checking
• World's fastest optical neuromorphic processor
• Hawai'i drought during El Niño winter? Not always, according to new research
• A brain mechanism underlying 'vision' in the blind is revealed
• Rising lizard temperatures may change predator-prey relationship with snakes
• Peeking inside 'mini-brains' could boost understanding of the human brain
• Native biodiversity collapse in the Eastern Mediterranean
• Faulty metabolism of Parkinson's medication in the brain linked to severe side effects
• Unusual sex chromosomes of platypus, emu and pekin duck
• Response to infection therapy better understood thanks to a new technique
• Where antibiotic resistance comes from
• New hard disk write head analytical technology can increase hard disk capacities
• Oldest hominins of Olduvai Gorge persisted across changing environments
• Why crocodiles have changed so little since the age of the dinosaurs
• Journal article reviews century of data showing COVID-19 likely to impact the brain
• Protective immunity against SARS-CoV-2 could last eight months or more
• Old silicon learns new tricks

Commonly used blood pressure medications safe for COVID-19 patients, study finds Posted: 07 Jan 2021 03:54 PM PST Medications to treat high blood pressure did not affect outcomes among patients hospitalized with COVID-19. The study is the first randomized controlled trial to show there is no risk for patients continuing these medications while hospitalized for COVID-19.

Insights into the Yellowstone hotspot Posted: 07 Jan 2021 01:47 PM PST The Yellowstone hotspot is well known for generating supereruptions in the geologic past that are far more explosive than historic examples. The origin and sustained longevity of the hotspot is less understood but is focused on two competing models, where the ascent of hot mantle is derived from either a deep-seated mantle plume or a shallow mantle source.

Mysterious family life of notorious saber-toothed tiger Posted: 07 Jan 2021 01:47 PM PST New research indicates adolescent offspring of the menacing saber-toothed predator, Smilodon fatalis, were more momma's cubs than independent warriors.

Research confirms increase in river flooding and droughts in US, Canada Posted: 07 Jan 2021 10:57 AM PST Research demonstrates that increases in the frequency of both high- and low-flow extreme streamflow events 'are, in fact, widespread.'

Functional seizures associated with stroke, psychiatric disorders Posted: 07 Jan 2021 10:57 AM PST In a large-scale study of electronic health records investigators determined the prevalence of functional seizures and characterized comorbidities associated with them. Functional seizures are sudden attacks or spasms that look like epileptic seizures but do not have the aberrant brain electrical patterns of epilepsy. The research team confirmed associations between functional seizures and psychiatric disorders and sexual assault trauma and discovered a novel association with stroke.

Emotionally appealing ads may not always help consumer memory Posted: 07 Jan 2021 10:57 AM PST Emotional appeals in advertisements may not always help improve consumers' immediate recall of a product, says a new article.

What is surgical smoke and what can be done about it? Posted: 07 Jan 2021 10:57 AM PST Surgical smoke poses a health risk to everyone in the operating room. Perioperative teams exposed to surgical smoke report twice as many respiratory health issues as the general public. The smoke can even contain viruses. Researchers suggest that policies and laws mandating the evacuation of surgical smoke from operating rooms are the best way to reduce the negative health impacts on perioperative staff as well as surgical patients.

Chemists invent shape-shifting nanomaterial with biomedical potential Posted: 07 Jan 2021 10:56 AM PST Made of synthetic collagen, the new nanomaterial may have a range of biomedical applications, from controlled-release drug delivery to tissue engineering.

MRI frequently underestimates tumor size in prostate cancer Posted: 07 Jan 2021 10:56 AM PST Improving imaging processes will lead to more successful treatments and help reduce morbidity in men with the disease.

Striped or spotted? Winds and jet streams found on the closest brown dwarf Posted: 07 Jan 2021 10:56 AM PST Using high-precision brightness measurements from NASA's TESS space telescope, astronomers found that the nearby brown dwarf Luhman 16B's atmosphere is dominated by high-speed, global winds akin to Earth's jet stream system. This global circulation determines how clouds are distributed in the brown dwarf's atmosphere, giving it a striped appearance.

COVID-19 outcomes for patients on immunosuppressive drugs on par with non-immunosuppressed patients, study finds Posted: 07 Jan 2021 10:56 AM PST People taking immunosuppressive drugs to prevent organ transplant rejection or to treat inflammatory or autoimmune diseases do not fare worse than others on average when they are hospitalized with COVID-19, according to a new study.

Intelligence deficit: Conclusion from the mouse to the human being Posted: 07 Jan 2021 09:53 AM PST Impaired intelligence, movement disorders and developmental delays are typical for a group of rare diseases that belong to GPI anchor deficiencies. Researchers now used genetic engineering methods to create a mouse that mimics these patients very well. Studies in this animal model suggest that in GPI anchor deficiencies, a gene mutation impairs the transmission of stimuli at the synapses in the brain.

Reducing treatment-related complication for blood cancer patients Posted: 07 Jan 2021 09:53 AM PST Researchers published promising findings on preventing a common complication to lifesaving blood stem cell transplantation in leukemia.

High-flux table-top source for femtosecond hard X-ray pulses Posted: 07 Jan 2021 09:53 AM PST Researchers have now accomplished a breakthrough in table-top generation of femtosecond X-ray pulses by demonstrating a stable pulse train at kilohertz repetition rate with a total flux of some 10^12 X-ray photons per second.

What happens when your brain can't tell which way is up or down? Posted: 07 Jan 2021 09:53 AM PST What feels like up may actually be some other direction depending on how our brains process our orientation, according to psychology researchers. Researchers found that an individual's interpretation of the direction of gravity can be altered by how their brain responds to visual information.

For the right employees, even standard information technology can spur creativity Posted: 07 Jan 2021 09:53 AM PST In a money-saving revelation for organizations inclined to invest in specialized information technology to support the process of idea generation, new research suggests that even non-specialized, everyday organizational IT can encourage employees' creativity.

Protein that can be toxic in the heart and nerves may help prevent Alzheimer's Posted: 07 Jan 2021 09:53 AM PST A protein that wreaks havoc in the nerves and heart when it clumps together can prevent the formation of toxic protein clumps associated with Alzheimer's disease, a new study shows. The findings could lead to new treatments for this brain-ravaging condition, which currently has no truly effective therapies and no cure.

Mediterranean diet may decrease risk of prostate cancer progression Posted: 07 Jan 2021 09:53 AM PST In a study to examine a Mediterranean diet in relation to prostate cancer progression in men on active surveillance, researchers found that men with localized prostate cancer who reported a baseline dietary pattern that more closely follows the key principles of a Mediterranean-style diet fared better over the course of their disease.

Delivering the news with humor makes young adults more likely to remember and share Posted: 07 Jan 2021 09:53 AM PST Could the merging of humor and news actually help inform the public? New research found that young people were more likely to remember information about politics and government policy when it was conveyed in a humorous rather than non-humorous manner. They were also more willing to share the information online.

Simple bioreactor makes 'gut check' more practical Posted: 07 Jan 2021 09:53 AM PST Researchers develop lab tool to mimic conditions in intestines, giving them a mechanical model for the real-time growth of bacterial infections.

Fundamental study on the Kondo effect Posted: 07 Jan 2021 09:52 AM PST In 1998, spectroscopic studies on the Kondo effect using scanning tunnelling microscopy were published, which are considered ground-breaking and have triggered countless others of a similar kind. Many of these studies may have to be re-examined now that researchers have shown that the Kondo effect cannot be proven beyond doubt by this method. Instead, another phenomenon is creating precisely the spectroscopic 'fingerprint' that was previously attributed to the Kondo effect.

Study examines attitudes toward long-acting injectable HIV therapy among women Posted: 07 Jan 2021 09:52 AM PST A study led by Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health researchers examines attitudes toward long-acting injectable (LAI) HIV therapies, among women with a history of injection--including medical purposes and substance use. The findings appear in the journal AIDS Patient Care and STDs.

Experts tap into behavioral research to promote COVID-19 vaccination in the United States Posted: 07 Jan 2021 09:52 AM PST Behavioral science and marketing researchers are laying out a range of strategies to help convince people to get vaccinated.

Nanodroplets and ultrasound 'drills' prove effective at tackling tough blood clots Posted: 07 Jan 2021 09:52 AM PST Engineering researchers have developed a new technique for eliminating particularly tough blood clots, using engineered nanodroplets and an ultrasound 'drill' to break up the clots from the inside out. The technique has not yet gone through clinical testing. In vitro testing has shown promising results.

Comprehensive database of head and neck cancers created Posted: 07 Jan 2021 09:52 AM PST Researchers have clarified the contribution of key cancer-associated genes, proteins and signaling pathways in these cancers, while proposing possible new treatment avenues.

How medical schools can transform curriculums to undo racial biases Posted: 07 Jan 2021 09:52 AM PST Medical school curriculums may misuse race and play a role in perpetuating physician bias, a team of researchers found in an analysis of curriculum from the preclinical phase of medical education.

Power, water and climate Posted: 07 Jan 2021 09:52 AM PST As the planet continues to warm, the twin challenges of diminishing water supply and growing energy demand will intensify. But water and energy are inextricably linked. For instance, nearly a fifth of California's energy goes toward water-related activities, while more than a tenth of the state's electricity comes from hydropower. As society tries to adapt to one challenge, it needs to ensure it doesn't worsen the other.

How to mitigate the impact of a lockdown on mental health Posted: 07 Jan 2021 08:24 AM PST The COVID-19 pandemic is impacting people's mental health. But what helps and hinders people in getting through a lockdown? A new study addressed this question using data from 78 countries across the world. The results hint at the pivots and hinges on which the individual's psyche rests in the pandemic.

Not just a guys' club: Resistance training benefits older women just as much as older men Posted: 07 Jan 2021 08:24 AM PST Men and women aged over 50 can reap similar relative benefits from resistance training, a new study shows.

Vaccine myths on social media can be effectively reduced with credible fact checking Posted: 07 Jan 2021 08:24 AM PST Researchers found that fact-check tags located immediately below or near a social media post can generate more positive attitudes toward vaccines than misinformation alone, and perceived source expertise makes a difference.

World's fastest optical neuromorphic processor Posted: 07 Jan 2021 08:24 AM PST A Swinburne-led team has demonstrated the world's fastest and most powerful optical neuromorphic processor for artificial intelligence. The neuromorphic processor operates faster than 10 trillion operations per second and is capable of processing ultra-large scale data.

Hawai'i drought during El Niño winter? Not always, according to new research Posted: 07 Jan 2021 08:24 AM PST El Niño events have long been perceived as a driver for low rainfall in the winter and spring in Hawai'i, creating a six-month wet-season drought. However, a recent study revealed the connection between Hawai'i winter rainfall and El Niño is not as straightforward as previously thought.

A brain mechanism underlying 'vision' in the blind is revealed Posted: 07 Jan 2021 08:24 AM PST Researchers observed slow spontaneous fluctuations in the brain's visual centers that preceded visual hallucinations in blind people.

Rising lizard temperatures may change predator-prey relationship with snakes Posted: 07 Jan 2021 08:24 AM PST Researchers have discovered that predation by snakes is pushing lizards to be active at warmer body temperatures on islands where snakes are present, in comparison to islands free from snakes. The findings show that lizard thermal biology is highly dependent on predation pressures and that body temperatures are rising suggest that such ectothermic predator-prey relationships may be changing under climatic warming.

Peeking inside 'mini-brains' could boost understanding of the human brain Posted: 07 Jan 2021 08:24 AM PST Revealing details of the internal structure of 'mini-brains' could help accelerate drug studies and may offer alternatives to some animal testing.

Native biodiversity collapse in the Eastern Mediterranean Posted: 07 Jan 2021 08:24 AM PST An international team quantified a dramatic biodiversity collapse of up to 95 per cent of native species in the Eastern Mediterranean.

Faulty metabolism of Parkinson's medication in the brain linked to severe side effects Posted: 07 Jan 2021 08:21 AM PST Until now, the reason why the drug levodopa (L-Dopa), which reduces the motor symptoms of Parkinson's disease, declines in efficacy after a few years' use has been unknown. A side effect that then often occur is involuntary movements. Scientists have now been able to connect the problems with defective metabolism of L-Dopa in the brain.

Unusual sex chromosomes of platypus, emu and pekin duck Posted: 07 Jan 2021 08:21 AM PST Three studies uncovered the unusual sex chromosomes of platypus, emu and Pekin duck. Platypus have five pairs of sex chromosomes forming an unusual chain shape, while the sex chromosomes of emu and duck are not as different between sexes as those of human.

Response to infection therapy better understood thanks to a new technique Posted: 07 Jan 2021 06:46 AM PST Researchers have developed a new sequencing-based approach for pathogen discovery from challenging samples.

Where antibiotic resistance comes from Posted: 07 Jan 2021 06:46 AM PST By comparing thousands of bacterial genomes, scientists have traced back the evolutionary history of antibiotic resistance genes. In almost all cases where an origin could be determined, the gene started to spread from bacteria that, themselves, can cause disease.

New hard disk write head analytical technology can increase hard disk capacities Posted: 07 Jan 2021 06:45 AM PST Using synchrotron radiation at SPring-8 - a large-scale synchrotron radiation facility - researchers have successfully imaged the magnetization dynamics of a hard disk drive (HDD) write head for the first time, with a precision of one ten-billionth of a second. The method makes possible precise analysis of write head operations, accelerating the development of the next-generation write heads and further increasing HDD capacity.

Oldest hominins of Olduvai Gorge persisted across changing environments Posted: 07 Jan 2021 05:37 AM PST Olduvai (now Oldupai) Gorge, known as the Cradle of Humankind, is a UNESCO World Heritage site in Tanzania, made famous by Louis and Mary Leakey. New interdisciplinary field work has led to the discovery of the oldest archaeological site in Oldupai Gorge, which shows that early human used a wide diversity of habitats amidst environmental changes across a 200,000 year-long period.

Why crocodiles have changed so little since the age of the dinosaurs Posted: 07 Jan 2021 05:37 AM PST New research explains how a 'stop-start' pattern of evolution, governed by environmental change, could explain why crocodiles have changed so little since the age of the dinosaurs.

Journal article reviews century of data showing COVID-19 likely to impact the brain Posted: 06 Jan 2021 02:13 PM PST Decades of data paint a compelling case for why COVID-19 survivors, even those with few symptoms, could experience long-term effects on the brain and central nervous system.

Protective immunity against SARS-CoV-2 could last eight months or more Posted: 06 Jan 2021 11:26 AM PST The findings, based on analyses of blood samples from 188 COVID-19 patients, suggest that responses to the novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, from all major players in the 'adaptive' immune system, which learns to fight specific pathogens, can last for at least eight months after the onset of symptoms from the initial infection.

Old silicon learns new tricks Posted: 06 Jan 2021 10:30 AM PST Researchers fabricated regular arrays of iron-coated silicon crystals that are atomically smooth. The defect-free pyramidal composition of the crystals impart magnetic properties that will enhance the functionality of 3D spintronics and other technologies.

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